A third person primacy effect in observer reactions to multiple video viewpoints.

Video imagery constitutes powerful evidence in managerial judgments like employee intentionality, yet little is known about the impact of combinations of multiple video viewpoints. Four experiments (N = 1716) indicate a 3rd person primacy effect, such that the 3rd (vs. 1st) person viewpoint exerts disproportionate weight in managerial judgment. Using online participants, experiments manipulated whether viewpoints were presented in isolation or in combination with other viewpoints. Across experiments, the average amount by which intentionality judgments deviated between stimulus source in isolation versus in combination was smaller for 3rd relative to 1st person video. The primacy effect derived from variation at both a lower identification stage and a higher dispositional inference stage of judgment. This research clarifies how observers respond to video information in isolation versus combination, with implications for use of video evidence in managerial and legal contexts.